Bosworth Battlefield - where Richard III died

[caption id="attachment_2454" align="alignnone" width="1200"] All of us in front of the battlefield[/caption]

Richard III must be one of the most famous (or infamous) monarchs ever, and that’s despite being king for just two years, from 1483 to 1485. His reign heralded the beginning of the end of the Wars of the Roses and his death ushered in possibly the most well-known royal family of all, the Tudors, plus of course, there is the question of the Princes in the Tower and a reputation forever damaged by Shakespeare’s iconic play.

Richard has also been in the news more recently as his body was discovered in a Leicester car park back in 2013. We visited the Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester last year and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. In fact, we seem to have been on something of a Richard odyssey, as we also had a trip to beautiful Fotheringhay, where Richard was born. And now we’ve just returned from BOSWORTH, the battlefield where Richard was slain, and where he became the last English king to die in battle.

Bosworth is in Leicestershire and is, I may as well say right here, an excellent place for a day out, with or without the kids. The site has been beautifully maintained and is huge. When we went, there were lots of groups there enjoying the sun and outdoors. It’s free to walk around the site – although you do have to pay £2.50 for parking (I wonder if this should be free for those visiting the exhibition).

[caption id="attachment_2455" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was beautiful walking around the sites[/caption]

We very much enjoyed our walk around the battlefield site, enjoyed the views, and appreciated the information points on the way. It seemed quite bizarre to think of a bloody battle going on in this beautiful place, especially as we were looking out on quiet fields of green and, at one point, watching canal boats roll lazily by.

There’s a sundial and flags (including Richard’s standard) at the top of the site and there is also a nice eating area (we forced ourselves to try some ice-cream and cake) and shop. Plus, there are a number of guided walks on offer (including a ghost walk, which sounded great) and even shows involving birds of prey.

I don’t think that many visitors take advantage of the exhibition, which is a real shame, as it’s extremely well done and puts everything into context.

The exhibit at the Heritage Centre isn't huge, but it is thoughtful and has some excellent interactive elements. It begins by giving some historical background and also introduces a number of characters who take you through the events as they happen, and from their points of view.

[caption id="attachment_2457" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The two kings, on show at the Heritage Centre[/caption]

There are lots of costumes to try on (we were amused that those doing this when we were there were all adults!) including armour (I tried on a helmet which was extremely heavy), while the display of the battle itself is really good and managed to explain the tactics extremely well.

[caption id="attachment_2458" align="alignnone" width="1200"] This is the amazing silver boar, found a few years ago[/caption]

We all enjoyed trying out the bow and arrow (Robert was the best) and there were some fascinating side exhibits, including one very gory one on barber surgeons. I also loved seeing the artefacts on display, especially the remarkable and tiny silver boar badge which is believed to have been given to one of Richard’s knights before the battle began.

We all liked it and Robert, aged 11, was especially impressed. Here are his thoughts:

“The exhibition had so many cool, interactive things to do from watching videos from different people’s point of view or seeing how far you could shoot an arrow. I loved watching through the eyes of a warrior in the battle and playing games on either Richard or Henry’s team. One of my favourite activities was looking for the secret fact: when you saw a special symbol you had to look out for the hidden information. They were in secret compartments, on the ceiling and even inside the wall! I really enjoyed going to the exhibition as I learnt lots from the displays and also had fun with the different Battle of Bosworth related things to do.”

[caption id="attachment_2459" align="alignnone" width="1200"] One of the secret messages at the Bosworth Heritage Centre[/caption]

Bosworth Battlefield and Heritage Centre are located in Sutton Cheney, Nuneaton, Leicestershire. Tickets for the Heritage Centre cost £7.95 per adult and £4.85 for children aged 3 to 15. There are often special offers (including a leaflet on the website) which offer a kid’s ticket free with an adult one. . A ticket for a family of four is £21.50.

Read about our trip to the Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester and to Fotheringhay, where the King was born.

We visited Bosworth after staying at the wonderful Dandelion Hideaway and glamping! It's just a quick drive away.

Fotheringhay, the birthplace of Richard III

[caption id="attachment_1118" align="aligncenter" width="940"] You can see the mound behind us![/caption]

Britain is full of wonderful hidden gems. One of these is Fotheringhay, It's in Northamptonshire, not far from Peterborough, and is a place full of both history and beauty.

Fotheringhay is a gorgeous, very small village which we visited simply because I remembered going there as a child and being fascinated by its history. I've always been interested in the Tudors and this was the place given to Catherine of Aragon by Henry VIII, and where Mary Queen of Scots met her end, being imprisoned, tried and then literally losing her head in the castle's great hall, in 1587.

The castle itself was built over 1000 years ago, in around 1100. A king who has been very much in the news, Richard III, was born there in 1452 and soil from the castle - blessed by the Bishop of Leicester - will be used at his reburial tomorrow. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will also sprinkle a portion of the sample into Richard III’s coffin.

You approach the castle via a footpath and it is now basically a mound, flattened on the top, which you climb up - only the earthworks and a conical motte remain. There is no building, and yet it's still a great place to visit. The climb is fun, the views are gorgeous (you are right beside the river Nene) and it's very peaceful.

[caption id="attachment_1120" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The peaceful Nene Valley in Fotheringhay[/caption]

Fotheringhay also has a beautiful church and an array of lovely stone houses. It also has a delicious restaurant, the Falcon Inn, where we sat down for a spot of lunch. However, it is a tiny village, so it won't take you very long to see what's on offer. Enjoy this taste of history!

We loved being in the country and have linked up with Country Kids this week!



 

If you like history, you may enjoy:

Visiting Selby Abbey, nearly 1000 years of history

Winchester, Wolf Hall and more